Personal experience: I tried different job search strategies, but only a life hack from Reddit worked.

Courtney Clapper, a recent graduate, shares her story of searching for a job, applying to different companies and trying different search strategies. But traditional search tools—resumes and portfolios—weren't helping her. But one simple trick ultimately worked. She explains what that trick is. Business Insider.

"I started looking for a job in the fall of 2025, a few months after receiving my MBA from Cornell Tech. I considered various positions—from product manager to digital strategist—and knew the market would be extremely competitive.

I tried a lot of creative ways to stand out: creating a portfolio, recording accompanying videos, and much more. But nothing worked.

The only technique that ultimately worked was a simple and free life hack I found on Reddit. It helped me reach out to recruiters directly and get a job offer.

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Video cover letters were a good start

When I first entered the job market, I tried to put myself in the shoes of a recruiter who receives thousands of resumes daily. I thought it would be helpful to showcase not only my skills but also my personality. So, I recorded videos in which I read cover letters (written by AI), added a few jokes, and sent a link to a private YouTube video. This approach really helped me land an interview at Microsoft. Recruiters specifically mentioned the video, saying it made them feel like they already knew me. That was a good sign.

However, I continued to try different ideas.

Portfolios and presentations did not yield results

I created a portfolio in a timeline format. It included photos of all the significant projects I'd completed, moments from my time at Cornell Tech, and shots where I presented my ideas and personal qualities, all in a visually engaging way.

I've also heard stories of people getting jobs by submitting a presentation with ideas for improving the company. I tried that too, but it didn't work. Neither the portfolio nor the presentation were worth the time I spent on them.

Recommendations from friends didn't help either. I have a fairly good network of contacts, but that didn't make any difference. Interestingly, of all the positions at Microsoft, I only got an interview for the one where I didn't have a recommendation.

A working life hack on Reddit

I was reading Reddit threads where people were complaining about the difficulty of finding a job, and I noticed several comments about how they had success by directly contacting hiring managers.

Some people wrote that they'd called by phone, but that was too bold for me. I decided to start with email—it seemed relatively safe.

At first, I tried finding contacts through LinkedIn, but it wasn't very effective. Then, in a Reddit comment, I saw a mention of a free tool called Apollo AI, which finds the email addresses of recruiters and hiring managers. I tried it, and it turned out to be quite accurate. I started sending my resume and cover letter directly to people. It was a real breakthrough.

Sweetgreen's CEO responded to my letter.

My emails showed initiative and, frankly, simply made the recruiter's job easier. Of the three people I emailed directly, two invited me to interview.

I even wrote directly to Sweetgreen's CEO, and one of the top managers responded, referring me to the hiring manager to schedule an interview.

One of these emails eventually landed me my current job—head of strategy at a major retail company. This approach greatly simplified the process: I already had direct contact, so it was easy to follow up if a response was delayed.

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I didn't receive any negative reactions and I'm ready to do it again.

I was worried that someone might find it strange or intrusive that I found their personal email, but no one said anything. Some might find it terribly intrusive, while others might find it resourceful.

If I were job hunting again, this is the strategy I'd start with. Experimenting with portfolios and videos was fun and made me think about how to best present myself, but ultimately, direct contact with the hiring manager proved to be the most effective way to stand out."

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